Oman – New satellite imagery analysis by Greenpeace Germany indicates that oil leakage from the Russian shadow fleet tanker Caroline Bezengi, grounded in Oman’s Al Hallaniyat archipelago, has accelerated and is now estimated to have spread across roughly 600 square kilometres – a fourfold increase over just the last two days. 

Nina Noelle, international environmental disaster expert at Greenpeace Germany, said: “This is a drastic increase, indicating a deterioration of the vessel’s condition. Satellite imagery analysis suggests that the oil spill covered 45 square kilometres up until 26 July. By 2 August it had expanded to around 150 square kilometres, and imagery from 4 August indicates that it now extends across roughly 600 square kilometres .

Hanen Keskes, campaigner at Greenpeace MENA said: “Even relatively small oil spills can have long-lasting consequences for marine ecosystems with chemical residues that persist in marine sediments for years, compromising their ecological resilience. With the oil leak from the stranded Caroline Bezengi now accelerating, the environmental consequences will be severe, threatening coral reefs, seagrass meadows and coastal habitats that support endangered sea turtles, migratory seabirds and marine mammals in the Hallaniyat Islands. Sea turtles rely on the islands’ beaches for nesting and egg-laying, while many seabird species depend on the islands as critical breeding sites. The surrounding waters are also home to the rare Arabian Sea humpback whale.”

Large stretches of Al Qibliyah Island’s shoreline appear to have been affected, while additional oil slicks extend far out to sea, further polluting and damaging this protected marine ecosystem. The tanker has reportedly been leaking oil since it ran aground in June, following a suspected limpet mine attack that resulted in the flooding of the engine room, and urgent action is needed to contain the spill and prevent further harm to marine life and local livelihoods.

The situation surrounding the tanker Caroline Bezengi is yet another alarming example of the serious environmental risks posed by Russia’s so-called shadow fleet. Sanctions are being circumvented using ageing and poorly maintained tankers, putting coastlines and marine ecosystems at risk in order to maintain revenues that help finance Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

With oil apparently leaking at an accelerating pace and the tanker stranded in a difficult location, there is an imminent risk of an unprecedented oil disaster from a broken tanker, with devastating consequences for the region’s coastlines and marine ecosystems.

Greenpeace urges the Omani authorities and all relevant regional bodies to act immediately to assess all remaining options to contain the spill, secure the tanker’s cargo and conduct a comprehensive, independent assessment of the ecological damage. Where additional capacity is needed, Oman should urgently request international assistance for expertise, equipment and resources as required.

The Caroline Bezengi is stranded close to Al Qibliyah, an uninhabited island in the Al Hallaniyat archipelago, within a marine protected area. According to reports, the tanker was nearly fully loaded when it ran aground and estimated to be carrying around 800,000 barrels of oil.

The difficulties surrounding the Caroline Bezengi reflect wider concerns raised by previous Greenpeace investigations into Russia’s shadow fleet.[1] The vessel lost its flag registration in Cameroon on May 29, and is since listed as ‘flag unknown’ by the International Maritime Organisation. Omani authorities reportedly ordered the Shanghai-based owner to act, but received no response. The tanker is not insured by any recognised Protection and Indemnity (P&I) club, but an opaque insurer called Arsenal Kyrgystan, apparently based in the Kyrgyz Republic, according to information for October 2025 obtained by Greenpeace Nordic from Danish authorities.[2] It is unclear whether that cover remains valid and will make sufficient funds available for emergency measures, clean-up, ecological restoration and compensation. 

Without an accountable owner and clear, adequate insurance or even a responsible flag state, Oman and affected communities risk being left to fully bear the environmental and financial consequences of this unfolding disaster.

ENDS

Satellite images from the Greenpeace Global Mapping Hub available in the Greenpeace Media Library 

Notes: 

[1] Previous Greenpeace investigations into Russia’s shadow fleet: Greenpeace has actively targeted Russia’s “shadow fleet”, a network of aging, underinsured oil tankers used to evade sanctions, through a combination of direct ocean protests, investigative research, and environmental modeling. Activists from Greenpeace Germany, Greenpeace Nordic, and Greenpeace CEE/Ukraine have staged direct peaceful actions, such as painting messages on offshore bunker refuelers and protesting in European waters to highlight the double threat of war funding and catastrophic oil spills. To hold governments accountable, Greenpeace Germany published a comprehensive report cataloging 192 high-risk shadow fleet tankers, which helped inform subsequent EU sanctions, and developed interactive oil spill simulations to visually demonstrate how potential leaks from these decaying vessels would devastate coastal ecosystems. 

[2] Information obtained via an FOI request to the Danish Marine Authority (DMA) by Greenpeace Nordic in 2026. The web-site for a company under this name, claiming to provide marine insurance services can be found here: https://arsins.kg/en/about. The DMA obtained this information from the captain of the Caroline Bezengi, when it moved in and out of the Baltic in 2025 and 2024.  

Contact: 

Nina Noelle, crisis communications and international relations manager, Greenpeace Germany, +49 151 10622733, [email protected]

Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]